That few rape arrests result in conviction has been documented. The proposed study will seek the reasons behind this phenomenon by empirically investigating the processing of rape arrests in thirteen jurisdictions across the country. The study encompasses three research objectives. First, we propose to compare case dismissal rates from arrest to conviction and the reasons for that attrition for rape and other serious crimes in order to learn whether the problems encountered in rape prosecutions are similar to those encountered with other offenses. The second objective is to identify the case characteristics that are associated with conviction for rape cases. We will test as possible explanatory variables: characteristics of the victim and the defendant, the circumstances in which the rape occurred, the corroborating evidence available, and other case characteristics. The third objective is to compare the results for each jurisdiction and to identify the extent to which jurisdictional characteristics, e.g., the existence of a special police rape squad, help to explain any variation found in the conviction rates. The thirteen sample jurisdictions are dispersed throughout the country: Cobb County (GA), Detroit, Indianapolis, Kalamazoo, Los Angeles, Louisville, Manhattan, New Orleans, Portland, Rhode Island, Salt Lake City, Tallahassee, and Washington, DC. These jurisdictions have computer-based management information systems, which will facilitate the identification and retrieval of data on rape cases. Rape cases occurring in each jurisdiction over a recent three-year period will be sampled. We expect to have approximately 4,000 cases for analysis. Through a better understanding of how rape cases are handled in court, better procedures may be developed to improve the performance of the criminal justice system in regard to this offense. The results of the analysis should provide insight into the effects of the law, as well as local procedures and treatment programs on processing rape cases.